This article was produced in collaboration with Valnet, Inc. and the sponsor, Legend In The Mist.
Most tabletop role-playing games lack an immediate narrative hook. Their worlds, while terrifically vast, can be overwhelmingly open from the very beginning. Thus, there is something to be said for a project that aims to maintain a degree of intimacy, and that draws us in with a central mystery. A solidified premise, but one that can still hook us longer-term with a massive setting filled with vibes all its own. Legend In The Mist is one of those games.
Legend In The Mist presents a world of forgotten kingdoms and the intriguing field of Thaumaturgy. It’s a great place to set adventures filled with hardship and heroism, and I know that firsthand because I’ve read the gorgeously illustrated learn-to-play guidebook that taught me everything I needed to know in order to play with either a team of friends or – tantalizingly enough – completely on my own. Oh, and it’s free, so you can read it, too.
Beautiful To Behold
Son of Oak Game Studio is quite fond of the term “rustic fantasy” for Legend In The Mist, and I get where they’re coming from. Much of its world is seen through the eyes of characters who have previously existed on the margins of the many dangers which await them, which conjures to mind that vintage Tolkien feeling of hobbits from the tucked-away Shire heading into something positively boundless.
While that’s all well and good, my own perception hews closest to the seminal stories from the legendary Studio Ghibli. The grandeur is Lord of the Rings, but the tenor and tempo are Princess Mononoke.
The reason rests in Legend In The Mist’s narrative-heavy roots. Son of Oak previously released City of Mist, a neo-noir detective TTRPG, whose gameplay engine was modified from the Powered by the Apocalypse in order to provide a more story-entrenched flavour. Legend In The Mist takes this several steps forward. Game Creator Amit Moshe has ensured that every action is steeped in emotion. Gerrin, the tutorial story’s protagonist, is described as a “spirited youth” with “untapped fierceness”.
These aren’t mere role-playing parameters; they tie directly into the possible outcomes behind every decision, be it through combat, exploration, or so forth. These are “tags”, and the consequences of your decisions can remove a tag for a set period of time. If Gerrin temporarily loses his untapped fierceness, or suffers a “pang of remorse”, that’s no good.
On the other hand – and this is where the beauty really shines – an earlier pang of remorse could help to steel Gerrin’s resolve later on, adding to his Power stat in that latter calculation. Choices don’t just have immediate consequences; they can be longer-lasting, and thus, more impactful.
None of this is to say that Legend In The Mist lacks “crunchier” elements. You’ll roll for reactions, encounter a plethora of status effects, and spend stocked-up Power when applicable. Yet, as with any good Hayao Miyazaki sequence, it’s ultimately about moving the narrative via carefully-considered characterization.
The system can keep track of the passage of time, and fulfilling or faltering preset conditions can lead to high-stakes twists. In the free comic book adventure, Gerrin wishes to help his mother, but if the sun sets, he may be unable to do so. Where does the tale go from there? It doesn’t have to end, but such moments hold the potential to add tragic weight.
Everything you need to know in order to begin playing Legend In The Mist is covered in the guidebook. Lead Artist Alejandra Pinal and her team convey this through over 50 pages of stunning, fully-colourized, comic book panels that honestly would have impressed me even if I lacked interest in the TTRPG itself. The comic showcases the effects of every choice within the tutorial story, sending Gerrin through the ringer.
It’s artful, insightful, and most importantly, educational. And it does a bang-up job of keeping things personal enough that I grew to care about Gerrin by the conclusion. I can’t compare anything to the works of Studio Ghibli without that last bit, now can I?
Once you’ve sampled the comic book adventure for yourself, you’ll be in great shape to decide whether to snag Legend In The Mist’s corebook for the full scoop. I mentioned earlier, but it’s worth driving home – the PDF for it is completely free. As for the corebook’s PDF, that’s $29.95 USD, and it’s available now. If you’re keen on a printed version, you can pre-order it for $49.95 (a ten-dollar discount from the post-launch price of $59.95).
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